Think of the Children

After a light two-week period, the ESRB hit us up with no less than 56 rated titles this week. I wanted to note that the ESRB has sent notice to game publishers that they now have the ability to choose when their gaming title will be published as being rated on the ESRB website. I guess some companies were getting a bit upset that major marketing campaigns built around secret releases of titles were getting blown up due to the ESRB letting the cat out of the bag early. It was a bit of a strange week, as a ton of the new submits belong to the PC division of a certain gaming publisher came across, the Next-gen consoles are starting to flash some signs of life including a heavy-hitter and a platform that was as good as given up for dead gets a rated game, and the weekly title of shame.

Apparently, Midway decided to submit their entire 2008 PC lineup to be rated, as the ESRB posted 14 PC titles this week. What is interesting is that several are the same (or offshoot) games that have been found on Xbox Live and Playstation Network. Included are Robotron: 2084 and Joust. Could this be more of the Games for Windows Live product that was promised back at CES 2007 and again touted at CES 2008? Probably not, seeing as how UNO (which we saw a working PC/360 connection in January 2007 and was announced as coming later in 2007) has never been released. Other PC titles from Midway were Gauntlet II, Primal Rage, 3 Peak Deluxe, 5 Star Generals, Crystal Balls, Gemslide, Go Wild, Mahjongg Pairs, MAHKI, PowerCell, Solitaire Classic and Target 21.

What can only be considered a string week for the next-gen platforms saw several anticipated games along with a steady stream of Xbox Live Arcade titles come down the pipeline. Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 saw Silent Hill: Homecoming, Baja, Madden NFL 09, EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Live Draft Tracker and the heavy hitter SOULCALIBUR IV. A pretty good lineup of retail titles that don’t included any movie tie-ins. In addition, the Xbox 360 also had Cribbage, Rocket Riot and Ticket to Ride (one of this week’s XBLA title) all rated. Overall, it was a very strong week for the first time in a while.

The weekly title of shame goes to EA feeling the need to bring Madden 09 to the original Xbox platform. Since I started this article last year, only a handful of times has the platform seen a title (let alone a non-sports title) get rated. The last non-sports title was Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Lockdown, along with the 2K8 basketball (NBA and NCAA) and EA football (Madden and NCAA 08) titles from last year. That’s five titles in two years. I would think at some point (seeing as how Microsoft has already buried the thing) EA and 2K would abandon the original Xbox, as even the ESRB lists the thing under “older platforms”. So I am calling out EA to quit wasting resources on a platform that has essentially been retired and focus on the here and now.

Title

Publisher

Rating

Platforms

Crystal Balls

Midway

Everyone

PC

Gemslide

Midway

Everyone

PC

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility

Natsume Inc

Everyone

Wii

Joust

Midway

Everyone

PC

Madden NFL 09

Electronic Arts

Everyone

360, PS3, PSP, PS2, Xbox

Order Up!

Destination Software, Inc. (Zoo Games)

Everyone

Wii

Robotron: 2084

Midway

Everyone

PC

Rocket Riot

ValuSoft

Everyone

360

Stargate Online Trading Card Game: Rise of the Ori

Sony Online Entertainment

Teen

PC

The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria

Turbine, Inc.

Teen

PC

The Sims 2 Apartment Pets

Electronic Arts

Everyone

DS

Wild West Guns

Game Loft

Teen

Wii

WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2009

THQ

Teen

DS

Zoo Hospital

Majesco Entertainment

Everyone

Wii

Tinker

Microsoft

Everyone

PC

The Golden Horde

DreamCatcher Interactive Inc.

Teen

PC

Target 21

Midway

Everyone

PC

Solitaire Classic

Midway

Everyone

PC

PowerCell

Midway

Everyone

PC

Madden NFL 09 All-Play

Electronic Arts

Everyone

Wii

Mahjongg Pairs

Midway

Everyone

PC

MAHKI

Midway

Everyone

PC

Jewel Quest Solitaire

Activision Value Publishing

Everyone

DS

Imagine: Fashion Designer New York

Ubisoft

Everyone

DS

Imagine: Teacher

Ubisoft

Everyone

DS

Go Wild

Midway

Everyone

PC

Flip Words 2

Brighter Minds Media

Everyone

PC, Web Browser

Fate: Undiscovered Realms

Wild Tangent

Everyone 10+

PC

3 Peak Deluxe

Midway

Everyone

PC

5 Star Generals

Midway

Everyone

PC

EnerG: Horse Rider

Ubisoft

Everyone

DS

Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze

Encore, Inc.

Everyone

Macintosh, PC

Cribbage

Vivendi Games

Everyone

360

SOULCALIBUR IV

Namco Bandai

Teen

360, PS3

Wonder World Amusement Park

Majesco Entertainment

Everyone

Wii

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

Turbine, Inc.

Teen

PC

Ticket to Ride

Next Level Games

Everyone

360

Penny Racers Party: Turbo-Q Speedway

TOMY Corporation

Everyone

Wii

Scholastic Animal Genius

Scholastic Inc.

Everyone

Macintosh, PC

Hide & Secret: Cliffhanger Castle

Activision Value

Everyone

PC

Hot Wheels Turbo Driver™ Race the World™

Mattel Inc.

Everyone

PC

Legend: Hand of God

ValuSoft

Mature

PC

Gauntlet II

Midway Home Entertainment

Everyone

PC

Little League World Series Baseball 2008

Activision Value

Everyone

DS

Ninja Commando

SNK Playmore USA

Everyone 10+

Wii

EA SPORTS Fantasy Football Live Draft Tracker

Electronic Arts

Everyone

360, PS3

Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties

Destineer

Teen

Macintosh

Baja

THQ

Everyone

360, PS3

Safari Adventures: Africa

Conspiracy Entertainment Corporation

Everyone

PS2, DS, Wii

Red Bull BC One

Ignition Entertainment

Everyone

DS

Silent Hill: Homecoming

Konami Digital Entertainment

Mature

PC, 360, PS3

PDC World Championship Darts 2008

Oxygen Games

Everyone 10+

PS2, PSP, Wii

Primal Rage

Midway Home Entertainment

Teen

PC

The Great Tree

Merscom

Everyone

PC

Target Toss Pro: Bags

Incredible Technologies

Everyone

Wii

World Heroes 2

SNK Playmore USA

Teen

Wii

Here is the final tally on who, what and where everything was rated for the last two weeks. There were 56 rated titles on 10 platforms. PC (28), Wii (12), DS (9), 360 (8) and PS3 (5) had the most games rated. There were 44 of the 56 titles rated at E10+ or lower, 10 rated at T for Teen and just two (Legend: Hand of God and Silent Hill: Homecoming) rated at M for Mature.

Got a comment on the article or a rated games, put it in the section below or send me an e-mail. Until next week, make sure you know what your kids are playing……
*The weekly Title of Shame (and any game that is tossed in that paragraph) is done so based on several factors, including which games were rated that week, how does the game concept stack up, is it a re-hashed sequel, lame movie tie-in, rip off of another game, etc…

* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company for review.

About Author

I spent the greater part of my informative years glued to the front of a Commodore 64 after we wore out our Intellivision. If you were in the Toledo area surfing C-64 bulletin boards in the mid 80's, we probably have already met. When not running the BBS, I spent countless hours wandering around the streets of Skara Brae, as my life was immersed in The Bard's Tale series on the C-64. After taking the early 90's off from gaming (college years) minus the occasional Bill Walsh College Football on Sega, I was re-introduced to PC games in the mid 1990's with a couple of little games called DOOM II and Diablo. I went all-in with the current generation of consoles, getting an Xbox 360 on launch weekend as well as adding a PS3 and Wii in subsequent years.

While my byline is on many reviews, articles and countless news stories, I have a passion for and spent the last several years at GamingNexus focusing on audio & video and accessories as they relate to gaming. Having over 15 years of Home Theater consulting and sales under my belt, it is quite enjoyable to spend some of my time viewing gaming through the A/V perspective. While I haven't yet made it to one of the major gaming conventions (PAX or E3), I have represented GamingNexus at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas for the last six years.

I have been a staff member at GamingNexus since 2006 and feel lucky to have the opportunity to put to use my B.A. in Journalism from The Ohio State University.